Assignment: OSHA Case Studies
1. You managed to schedule an informal conference with the area director at the regional OSHA office four days after you received the Notice of Citations and Penalty. Based on the citations and penalties you received in Unit III, prepare a document that lists the citations and penalties you wish to discuss with the area director.
You should summarize what you are trying to accomplish in regard to each citation/penalty you choose, to include:
• the information you will use to try and accomplish your goal,
• the information you will take with you to the meeting, and
• who will accompany you to the meeting.
You must support your actions with reliable sources. Your grade will be based on your ability to present a case to your professor (serving as the area director) to reduce either the severity of some citations or the amount of some penalties. If you simply state that you accept the citations and penalties as written, you will receive a minimal score on the assignment. Your response must be a minimum of two pages in length, not including the title page and reference page. You must use at least one reference in the paper. All sources must be cited in the text and on the reference page, using APA style.
2. You fail to reach an informal settlement agreement with the area director. You file a Notice to Contest within the required 15-day period. Your case is assigned to an administrative law judge (ALJ). Prepare a document summarizing the case you will submit to the ALJ. The document should, at a minimum, discuss the following issues:
• which citations and penalties you would contest,
• the reasoning behind each contested citation and/or penalty,
• documents you would bring to the hearing,
• individuals you would use at the hearing,
• how the case before the ALJ differs from the informal conference,
• what information will be presented before the ALJ that was not presented in the informal conference, and
• what information you would request from OSHA as part of discovery.
You must support your actions with reliable sources. Your grade will be based on your ability to present a case to your professor, serving as the ALJ, to reduce or vacate either the severity of some citations or the amount of some penalties. If you simply state that you accept the citations and penalties as written, you will receive a minimal score on the assignment.
Your response must be a minimum of two pages in length, using at least one reference. All sources must be cited in the text and on the reference page, using APA style.
3. Assume that a fatality occurred at your facility one month prior to the OSHA inspection. Review the citations and penalties that were assessed to your facility, and respond to the following questions:
• Which of the citations could be referred to the U.S. DOJ for criminal proceedings?
• What conditions would have to be met before the citations could be referred for criminal proceedings?
• Which individuals working at your facility could face criminal charges under the act?
• What would be the maximum prison sentence and fines that any individual would face?
• What would be the maximum fine that the company would face?
• If you were facing criminal charges under the act, what would be your best defense?
• How could you involve the OSHRC in the criminal case(s)?
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
1. The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
2. The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
3. Also include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.